India-England Tests relocated to Chennai and Mohali

Ian Bell of England leaps in the air as Rahul Dravid of India cuts a boundary in Mohali in 2006. Photograph: Jason O'Brien/Action Images

The two scheduled Tests between England and India have both been relocated to new venues, Chennai and Mohali. The two fixtures had originally been due to be played in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, but both have been switched to allay concerns over security following last week's atrocities in the country. The second venue was initially changed from Mumbai to Chennai following the attacks but there is now another shift to help ease fears.

On July 26 of this year Ahmedabad was the scene of a series of 21 bombings in short succession, which killed 56 people. Mohali, in the north-west of the country, and Chennai, in the south-east, are comparatively untroubled by such terrorist activity, and are a great deal further away from Mumbai.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has also confirmed that there will be no change to the dates for either match, with the first Test in Chennai starting on the December 11 and the second match in Mohali on December 19. The scheduled warm-up match at Baroda from December 5-7 has been scrapped.

According to a press release from the BCCI, the England and Wales Cricket Board has agreed to the revised schedule, although there has been no confirmation of this fact from the ECB. It is expected to make an announcement tomorrow, following the completion of a wide-ranging security review. The BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said: "The tour will be officially cleared after discussions between the ECB's security consultant and officials in India."

The ECB is keen to collate all the evidence and recommendations on safety and security before making any decision on a resumption of the tour.